Palya!

“Hello.”  “Goodbye.”  “Good.”  “Do you understand?”  “Yes, I understand.”  The word palya – as used by the Aboriginal people local to the Uluṟu area (Aṉangu land) – is one of those universal terms that can mean all these things and more.  Welcome to the Rock!

I decided to sign up with one of those 3 day/2 night tours to visit the famous geological features of the Red Centre.  I had been debating on whether to do a tour or go visit them on my own, where I would have complete control over my visit.  However, I think taking a tour this time was the right decision.  I realized that on my own, I probably would have done the exact same hikes (there actually wasn't a big selection) and still caught Uluṟu at sunset and sunrise.  One big advantage of going with the tour was that I didn't have to drive.  These sites are far from Alice Springs; we covered 1500 km in 3 days.  Our tour guide had to fuel up the bus twice a day.  By not driving, I had more time to enjoy the scenery and rest (we had some early mornings).  By traveling in a group, it should have been more environmentally friendly (unless I followed the path of the Swiss couple biking all over the country) for that distance.  I have to give major credit to the tour guides – they have to drive the whole distance, get up earlier than us to prepare and organize, cook food, and guide us along.  Even when the group is easy (as supposedly mine was), it is still a lot of work.  I liked our guide, and it was great to have someone explain the geology, flora, cultural significance, etc. to us rather than just having to rely on the interpretative signs.  Plus, we had a good group, and I met some nice people.  While it worked out well this time, I know my time here won't be defined by tours.  I want my own experiences.

This tour is backpacker friendly and generally caters to the younger crowd.  No luxury accommodations and champagne at sunset here.  We hike 6 to 10 km each day, and we sleep under the stars in swags at night.  Swags are basically a mattress with some water resistant flaps on top that allow you to slip inside and cover up if desired.  You still use a sleeping bag for warmth.  Here’s a photo of the swags rolled up around the fire.

First stop was Kings Canyon in the Watarrka National Park.  The Aboriginals had named the area Watarrka which is their name for the umbrella plant in abundance there.  My guide liked to point out that this will be the best canyon you will visit, because the Grand Canyon is technically a gorge as it was formed by a permanent water source.  We hiked the canyon rim walk, which drops down into the Garden of Eden with its lush vegetation and permanent watering hole.  The walk also passes by evidence that the area was once at the bottom of the ocean.  There are fossils of sea cucumbers and jelly fish.  Here are the sand ripples that were once on the sea floor.

The area is also known for its beehive domes and, of course, the shear canyon walls.

On our trip out to the bush camp site, we witnessed the beauty of lightning striking over the desert.  It had not rained in the area for 150 days or so.  To save us from what could have been a miserable night of camping, our guide decided to continue on to where we would camp the second night.  The conditions were much better there.  Had we been at the Uluṟu sunset viewing area that night, we would have seen two rainbows over the Rock.  The next morning, we woke up for this sunrise:

Then, we headed to Uluṟu- Kata Tjuṯa National Park.  We started off with the Valley of the Winds hike at Kata Tjuṯa (the Olgas).  Kata Tjuṯa, meaning “many heads,” has 36 domes.  The area is sacred to Aṉangu men, so Aṉangu women keep their distance.  Kata Tjuṯa is a mixture of larger rock fragments unlike the relatively smoother sandstone of Uluṟu.  The black streaks are water stains, and the dimples were once filled with rocks and material that was pushed out by pools of water.

Here are some photos of the local fauna.  The finches feed on a tree with medicinal uses; Aboriginals would collect the finch poop and put it on their heads for headache relief.  We also saw some wild camels, which are common in this region.  Australia has the world’s largest population of wild camel with over 1 million single-humped camels.  They were introduced to transport people, goods, and post, but they were turned wild with the introduction of vehicles.

With a visit to the Aboriginal Cultural Centre and a guided Mala walk, we learned more about Tjukurpa (Dreamtime) stories of the Aṉangu people.  They have stories to explain the formation and significance of these geological structures.  We are only entitled to know the children’s versions of these stories.  These stories explain everything.  Because earthquakes are very unusual in the Red Centre, when one occurred back in May, elders (paired with a geologist) had to make new stories to explain the phenomenon.  We also learned why the Aṉangu people request that we do not climb Uluṟu: (1) concern for our health and safety (over 35 people have died climbing the Rock); (2) negative environmental impact (you can see the erosion caused by the foot traffic); and (3) cultural significance (the trek crosses a significant feature, and crossing that path changes the storyline).  As it turned out, climbing was not an option for my group when we visited.  The path was closed (apparently as often as they can find a reason) due to strong winds and forecasted rain.  I heard it was open the day after we left, and it looked as though ants were marching up the Rock.   

That evening, we joined the crowds (including the champagne-sipping and the mullet-sporting types) at the sunset viewing area. 

After sunrise viewing on the final tour day, we completed the Uluṟu base walk for more angles and more cave art.  Almost finished before the rain started again.

Palya Uluṟu.